Insulator



Dec. '18, "1928. 1,695,458

w. T. GQDDARD INSULATOR Filed Jan. 6, 1923 '2 Sheets-Sheet l PatentedDec. 18, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

wimma r. comma, or summon, ouranro, cannon, ASSIGNOR T0 LOCKE msnm'roaconronnrron, or summons, MARYLAND, a CORPORATION or MARY- LAND.

INSUMTOB.

Application flied January 6, 192:. Serial 1%. 611,132.

The invention relates to insulators, and more particularly to means forconnecting the parts of an insulating member to each other, and to themethod of applying said means. To this end the princi al ob ect of theinvention, generally state consists in providing a metallic connectingmember adapted to be interposed between adjacent surfaces of aninsulator, said connecting member being adapted to form a rigid bondbetween the adjacent surfaces.

Another object of the invention consists in providing a bonding memberfor connecting parts of an insulator, said bonding member beinunaffected by exposure to atmospheric con itions and being adapted to beinserted into and removed from between the adjacent surfaces withoutdetriment to the letter or to the adjacent members.

Another object of the invention consists in connecting adjacent surfaces\of-an insulator by interposing therebetween a series of metallic units.b v

A still further-object of the invention consists in the method ofconnecting adjacent surfaces of an insulator by pouring there-' betweenspaced bands, strips or sections of a molten metal.

There are other objects of the invention, as will hereinafter be setforth in the detailed description of the insulator and the method ofconnecting the same, which I haveiliustrated in the accompanying drawingforming a part of this application.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a view, partially in section and partially in sideelevation, of a multiple unit insulator of the pin type, showing theinvention applied thereto. Figure 2 is atransverse horizontal-sectionsview taken on the line 22'of Fig. 1.

Figures 3 and 4-are fragmentary sectional views showing on a somewhatlarger scale the method of connecting insulating units.

Figure 5 is a view, partially inventical section and partial inside-elevation, of a'conventional type 0 suspension insulator showingthe parts thereof connected by the method which I have devised.

Figure 6 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken on the line 6-6of Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a top planview of the cap -illustrated in Fig. 5.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary View, partially I lVithin the cavity 4 is thecapor stem 5 of the base or co-actin unit of the insulator. It is to beunderstoo that While I have illustrated a two unit pin type insulator,the invention is not to be construed as being limited tothis only sinceit will be apparent from the detailed description of the-invention thatit is equally applicable to various other forms of insulators.

To connect the units 1 and 5, I preferably form on the connectedsurfaces thereof roughened or corrugatedportions 6, these portions beingarranged opposite eachother when the insulating units are assembled. Thestem 5 of the base member is of less diameter than the diameteroftherecess 4 so that when the parts are assembled they will be spacedapart,as shown in tlie drawings. I interpose between the units a washer 'orspacing member 7 which .is preferably formed of felt, asbestos, or likematerial. This spacing member overlies the head5 of the base unit and ispreferably formed with a series of notches or recesses 8 opening fromthe peripheral edge thereof, the peripheral edgeof the spacing member 7terminating preferably at a point Within the recess 4. V b

When the arts are assembled as shown in Fig. 1, the insulator isinverted anda molten metallicsubstance 9, preferably lead or an alloythereof, is poured within the recess 8 of the spacing member or washer7. It will be obvious that the size and spacing of the molten alloyconnecting strips determined by the size and spacing of the notches orrecesses 8 within the washer or spacing member 7 and may be arranged oraltered ing a downwardly opening recess 11 and upwardly projectingperforated cars 12, the latter providing means for connecting the cap toan adjacent insulator or to a euppo t as the case may he. The recess 11is ad; tried to receive the neck or stem 13 formed on and projectingfrom the upper face of the insulating unit 1%. The unit is likewiseprovided with a centrally arranged downwardly opening cavity or recess15 in which received the stem 16 of the eye-bolt The inner wall of therecess 11 is preferably corrugated as shown at 18 and the verticalsurface of the necl: or stem 13 is roughened preferably by the so-calledsanded process. This process consists in applying to the neck or stem asand formed by granulating tired porcelain waich adheres to the freshlyglazed surface of the stem and which is fused to the stem upon the filllv of the insulator.

The method of connecting the cap 10 to the stem 13 is as follows: Seatedwithin the cap is a felt or asbestos washer or pad 19 which ispreferably providen with a series of spaced fingers 20 which maycorrespond in length with the depth of the cap. This washer ispositioned within the cap so that the openings between the fingers 20thereof are in alinement with the openings provided in the upper face ofthe cap, as clearly shown in Fig. 7. The cap is then placed over theneck or stem until the washer 119 is in contact with the top of the stem13 and molten metal, as hereinbefore described, is then poured throughthe openings 21 so that the molten metal on solidifying forms a firmbond, as indicated at 9, between the cap and the stem.

A like method is employed to connect the eye-bolt 1'? within the recess15. The vertical wall of the recess is provided with a roughened orsanded surface and a washer l9 having a plurality of fingers 20" isseated within the recess 15, preferably by assembling the washer andeye-bolt and forcing the assembled washer and eve-bolt into properposition. The spaces between the fingers 20* are then filled with themolten metal or alloy and the latter on solidifying forms a firm bondbetween the stem 16 of the eye-bolt and the adjacent walls of the recess15, the corrugations 22 on the stem 16 of the eye-bolt materiallyimproving the grip between the alloy and the eye-bolt.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated a fragn'lentary portion of a post or columninsulator having a metallic base member 28 on the up surface of which isprovided a circular flange 2% within which is adapted to seat the lose25 of the post insulator 26. The latter is preferably provided with acorrugated sur face. as shown at 27, to increase the le, lz-age distanceand may have the base portion 25 thereof sanded so a to form a roughenedsurface, as hereinbefore described. To connect the insulator 26 to thebase member 23 I interpose between the inner wall of the flange 2i andthe circumference of the base a strip or spacing member preferablycomposed of felt or asbestos or like material, as ilhistratcd at Thesaid strip is preferably formed with a series of spaced upstanding"'L'IS or tongues and the spaces between the a d tongues 29 are thenfilled with a molmctal or alloy which on solidifying forms a rigid bondserving to firmly connect the insulator to the base member. If desiredthe inner wall of the flange 2% may be ccrrugated or roughened as shownat 30.

'llhroughout all of the devices illustrated the molten metal onhardening inter-lochingly connects the adjacent surfaces between whichit is interposed. against separation. The shrinkage of the metal on comfrom its molten stage provides suliicicnt clearance between the adjacentsurfaces to compensate for the thermal changes in the latter, andtherefore does not subject these surfaces to excessive strains. In thisconnection it might be pointed out that a metal connecting member beinga good conductor of heat serves to equalize the temperatures of theadjacent surfaces.

Another great advantage of the method of connecting insulators as shownand described herein resides in the ease by which these units may bedisassembled if desired. By .lI1ll1'l(f!'S ing the connected units in abath of oil whose temperature is above the melting point of the metallicbond, or by subjecting the units to this temperature, which temperatureis not dctrin'iental to the material forming the parts of the insulator,I am enabled to melt the bond and hence may disconnect the units withoutdetriment to the latter.

By spacing the parts of the connecting metal apart, that is, byutilizing a series of spaced strips, bands or segments, I am on abled touse as the connecting medium a metal or alloy whose melting point iscomparatively high, such, for instance, as lead, which cheap and which,on cooling. forms a bond having the requisite tensile strength tosatisfactorily perform the functions required. Another result of thespacing of these units resides in the fact that no detrimental heatingelfects are produced even when a metal having a relatively high meltingpoint is used as the connecting medium since by interrupting thecontinuity of the metal by felt strips or the like the detrimentalheating elleets of a large body of metal at a high temperature isavoided.

Having now described the invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. The method of connecting an insulating unit to anadjacent member which consis s in assembling said unit and said memberin nested relation with spacing means thereloo between, and finallyconnecting adjacent surfaces of said unit and member at spaced intervalsby pouring molten metal therebetween.

2. The method of connecting parts of a multiple unit insulator whichconsists in providing adjacent surfaces of said parts with rou henedortions assemblin said surfaces in nested relation with a spacing devicetherebetween leaving spaced pockets between the parts, and finallyconnecting the adjacent surfaces at spaced intervals by pouring moltenmetal into said pockets.

3. The method of connecting parts of a multiple part insulator whichconsists in forming a cavity in one of said parts, forming a neck orstem on another of said parts, roughening portions of the surface ofsaid cavity and said stem, assembling said parts by inserting the saidstem within the said cavity, spacing means being employed for dividingthe cavity between the parts into a series of pockets and finallyconnecting the roughened portions of said adjacent surfaces at spacedintervals by pouring a molten metallic alloy in said pockets.

4. The method of connecting units of a multiple part insulator whichconsists in forming a cavity in one of said parts and forming a stem onanother of said parts, said stem and cavity being adapted to beassembled in nested relation, applying a spacing member between saidunits, and finally connecting adjacent portions of said surfaces bypouring therebetween a metallic alloy in a molten state.

5. The method of uniting porcelain insulator sections comprisingarranging the sec-- tions in nested relation with a circumferentialspace between them, obstructing the spaces at intervals between thesections, and filling said spaces with molten metal, contiguous portionsof the sections having roughened surfaces providing a grip for themetal.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WALTER T. GODDARD.

